> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex-xdr-3.x/cortex-xdr-3.x-documentation/onboard-and-configure-cortex-xdr/post-deployment-steps/set-up-your-environment/automation-rules.md).
# Automation rules
Cortex XDR provides an easy way to automate the day-to-day activities of SOC analysts. Automation rules enable you to define alert conditions that trigger the action that you specify within the rule. As alerts are created, Cortex XDR checks if the alert matches any of the alert conditions from the automated rules, and if there is a match, the corresponding action is then triggered. The automation rules only apply to new alerts which will either create a new incident or be combined with an existing one.
{% hint style="info" %}
### Important
Automation rules only apply to alerts that are grouped into incidents by the system. Most alerts with low and informational severity do not allow an automation rule to be automatically executed on them.
{% endhint %}
The automation rules run in the order they're created. You can drag the rules to change the order. If you select the setting **Stop processing after this rule** within a rule, the rule is still processed, but the rules following are not processed if alert conditions are met.
Automation rules support [SBAC](/cortex-xdr-3.x/cortex-xdr-3.x-documentation/onboard-and-configure-cortex-xdr/post-deployment-steps/manage-user-roles-and-access-management/manage-user-scope.md) (scoped based access control). The following parameters are considered when editing a rule:
* If Scoped Server Access is enabled and set to restrictive mode, you can edit a rule if you are scoped to all tags in the rule.
* If Scoped Server Access is enabled and set to permissive mode, you can edit a rule if you are scoped to at least one tag listed in the rule.
* To change the order of a rule, you must have permissions to the other rule/s of which you want to change the order.
* If a rule was added when set to restrictive mode, and then changed to permissive (or vice versa), you will only have view permissions.
The **Automation Rules** page displays a table of all the rules created.
The following describes the fields:
| Field | Description |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Action | The action that is triggered when the alert matches the condition configured within the automation rule,
The options are:
|
| Action Parameters | Required information for the action. For example, for the action **Send email**, you must enter the email of the person receiving the notification. |
| Conditions | The rule condition defined for the automation rule. For example **Severity=Critical**, where the rule triggers the action on all alerts where **Severity=Critical**. |
| Triggering Alerts | The number of alerts triggered by the automation rule. |
| Stop Processing | Indicates that the **Stop processing after this rule** is selected. |
| Status | If the automation rule is enabled or disabled. |
| Excluded Endpoints | Displays the endpoint/s ID excluded from the automation rule. |
| Created by | Displays the name of the user that created the automation rule. |
| Modification Time | Time when the automation rule was last modified. |
---
# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.
## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:
```
GET https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex-xdr-3.x/cortex-xdr-3.x-documentation/onboard-and-configure-cortex-xdr/post-deployment-steps/set-up-your-environment/automation-rules.md?ask=&goal=
```
`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.